Smile
by DressagePunk
Summary: Neville's forced to deal with his break-up, and has to learn to fight for himself; while others try to use him. Neville X Luna; Written for the HPFC Extra-Difficult Songfic Challenge, Based on Smile by Lily Allen


Title: Smile

Character(s): Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood

Rating: T

Warning(s): Grammar :)

Challenge(s): Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges – Extra- Difficult Songfic Challenge by Gamma Orionis

Word Count: 1,086

AN: This is a one-shot, based on the song "Smile" by Lily Allen

Neville sat in the Three Broomsticks, his thick coat thrown over the chair, warm butterbeer held in his hands. He hated when she pulled crap like this, she was the one that ended the relationship; and she was the one that bloody cheated on him. He still carried that cold band of solid gold around in his pocket. He'd been wanting to give it to her for a while.

He was ready to spend the rest of his life with Luna Lovegood. Neville remembered all too well, how it all ended; and that's why these meetings still meant nothing to him. If they started to mean something he needed to get out. He needed to stay away from Loony Luna, before she tore his heart out completely.

Neville returned home from the Apothecary, his arms aching from tending to the difficult plants within their greenhouses. He walked into the flat and was promptly greeted by a rather large amount of clothing. There were a few things he recognized, Luna's sweater, and a necklace remarkably like the one Ginny was always wearing. That's when he heard moans coming from the bedroom.

He raised his wand and jumped up the steps, when he reached the room he knocked, and as muffled voices shot around the room and a vase was sent flying off the bedside table; Luna came out of the room. Dressed in only a bed sheet, "This isn't what it looks like." She mumbled looking at her exposed feet.

"Funny Luna, because it looks like your cheating on me." He replied calmly before heading back down stairs to grab a glass of something strong.

"But Neville, I think I'm attracted to women. It's not really cheating if she has parts you don't, you know?" Luna said, the natural whimsical nature seemed to leave her voice, as it became nothing more than childish and quiet.

"Luna, it's cheating, get out of my house." Neville couldn't look at her, one look into those eyes and he'd propose right there. He loved her and that he couldn't just ignore. He'd wanted more for a while, and apparently so did she. She just didn't want more of him.

Luna made some sort of whimper but quickly left the flat with a now fully dressed Ginny. He heard the door next door slam, how could she do that to him? She'd said she loved him, but apparently fucking the girl next door was equally as exciting.

When she left he sat on the kitchen floor. The glass of scotch in his hand re-filled slowly and emptied throughout the night. He sat on the kitchen floor until his butt was numb, and the rest of him followed as the alcohol numbed him. He didn't think he'd spent a night alone since the war. She moved in right after the final battle. But now he was truly alone, so he sat on the floor all night and the next day, until Monday morning.

He finally returned to work, but it wasn't the same, it was like watching himself run through the motions while his soul followed her. He was separated, completely lost. But with a little pushing by a very famous school governor, Mr. Harry Potter himself; Neville found himself standing at the gates of Hogwarts, the new Professor of Herbology.

That's when he knew a single human couldn't take all the happiness from his world. A single human couldn't destroy the son of Auror Frank Longbottom. A single human couldn't defeat him. But it wasn't a week into the fall semester that she started to call him on the floo. She'd talk about wanting him back, but mostly it was her complaining about her life.

If Luna leaving him had taught Neville one thing, it was that you needed to keep living no matter what. You can't give up, you give up and the world will give up on you. She started opening up to him more.

"Neville, Ginny left me, She wants Harry again." She moaned through the floo. He could see fiery tears streaming down her cheeks. He couldn't help but smile, she was hurting as much as he was. The single human that had left him devastated had quickly turned around to be devastated herself.

That night, he grabbed another glass of scotch and slowly savored the rich flavor, this time smiling. Should he feel bad, probably, but all he could do was smile. She'd broken him and he fought his way back; she wasn't fighting and that's what made him smile. He couldn't help but smile more than normal the next day in classes.

Those smiles stayed plastered on his face the more she called, the more she complained. It became a drug to see her suffer. He wanted her to feel that same pain he had. But that's why he was waiting for her, to see her pain.

Luna rushed into the quiet pub and sat right next to Neville, "Neville, I want you back." She said whimsically

"That doesn't mean anything to me Luna." His reply was short and to the point.

"But Neville, I made a mistake, I want to be with you." Her hand reached for his hair, but he pulled back from her warm touch.

"That doesn't fix anything, and if I've learned anything Luna. It's that your words don't mean jack. You don't care who you hurt. You'll hurt anyone to keep from hurting yourself." Neville stood to leave when he hand came down on his arm.

"Please Neville, It hurts to be alone." Her large eyes widened and Neville started laughing. A deep throaty chuckle erupted from his chest. He couldn't stop it; he laughed halfway back to Hogwarts. At the gates, he chucked the gold band into the Black Lake. The laughter came to a stop but the smile he'd kept for the last few weeks stayed, and for the first time hit his eyes. His eyes seemed to keep the light they'd gained in the final battle.

A parent would every now and then question his sanity, and he'd tell them he was unwell, but the messed up mental state kept him grounded. Neville was able to appreciate what his parents did, what he had done for the wizarding world, and most importantly he'd been able to appreciate that he'd fought for himself.

Because if you can smile at something that truly hurt, if you can laugh in the face of pain and torture, you've truly conquered your demons.

AN: Sorry if the last line is kind of off, I couldn't get what I really wanted up but this was workable for me, anyway, let me know what you think :) Thanks


End file.
